When hospice reverts to the lowest common denominator and leaders obsess about metrics, it's time to speak. Self-inflated leaders assume clinicians give until their backs break, given no raises for years. A clinical ladder is a rainbow’s pot of gold. Others have a sorrier job and must be motivated by money. Abysmal leaders dangle extrinsic rewards for admission, hiring and EDBITA targets. “Sign on” bonuses entice people into a poor work environment. Employees’ voice equals their raise, zero.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Chaos Squared: Generic & Gentiva

Anonymous,

The similarity of our plights, yours at Gentiva and mine at Generic Hospice, are eerie. Our Branch Manager, who personally has driven off legions of great clinical staff, had the gall to tell me, "I feel so bad the nurses can't keep their Patient Care Supervisors."

Nurses can't keep their manager because the BM micromanages them to the point they resign or are fired. Our Branch Manager psychologically tortures them until they quit to save their sanity or become shells of their former self, ensuring the bad end. I've seen it over and over and over.

Talented nurses, who would be great leaders, want no part of it. One told me recently, "Why would I want that job? It only lasts a year."

But it's a very long year, as the BM psychologically breaks people.

1. A year with lots of written counselings. How's that for coaching?
2. A year with interminably long supervisor meetings with BM. This court is a chance for the BM to show their brilliance, receive compliments from underlings, setup future scapegoats and deride staff who through their dedication and caring make the site and its managers look good.
3. A year where the BM delegates virtually all their work to underlings, especially patient care supervisors who would be happy to do the work, only they have more than they can handle, being new or covering two jobs. Also, item #2 makes it difficult, given the many hours eaten each day by the BM's Royal Court.
4. A year where the BM repeatedly instructs the patient care supervisor what to do and say, as if they have no brain. This applies to the patient care supervisors' one-on-one meetings, nurse team meetings and all employee meetings.
5. A year where the BM moves through the office like a shark, looking for someone to bite. The shark frequently attacks patient care supervisors, but is known to bite any employee with little to no notice.
6. A year where the patient care supervisor is not allowed to communicate with staff on BM initiated firings or the plan to cover that person's work.
7. A year of surprises where staff believe they've kept the BM informed, only to have the BM say "You never told me that." When this happens to a new patient care supervisor, it's their first clue they're on a frightening ride in the BM's whack-job nuthouse.
8. A year where the BM tells corporate by phone how great they are, blaming underlings, especially patient care supervisors, for any performance shortfalls.
9. A year where the BM pushes whatever corporate initiative they have a role in to the exclusion of employee desires. The pressure to do something "voluntary" grows exponentially to enhance the BM's image. Employees exist to make the BM look good.
10. The BM will get their way. It may take time and support from clueless human resource representatives, but the BM will prevail.

Our BM could take a dump and corporate would fawn over it like a truffle. Frankly, that's what they've done repeatedly when we've complained about it's size and odor.

Good luck with the Harden integration. I'd be interested to know if you've experienced anything like my manager. Would Gentiva's ongoing chaos help or hurt someone like that?